American Battlefield Trust Lauds Long-Awaited Preservation Achievement in Advance of Battle of Franklin 160th Anniversary

(Franklin, Tenn.) — On the eve of the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin, the American Battlefield Trust joins Volunteer State preservationists in celebrating the protection of further land arvation movement. Franklin’s Charge,t that battlefield, which represents one of the most remarkable transformations in the modern battlefield prese Inc., a local non-profit organization acquitted the 0.63-acre property on Columbia Avenue with the intent of demolishing modern eyesores and later transferring the land to the City of Franklin for incorporation into the Carter Hill Battlefield Park. 

“It was almost a decade ago that my predecessor as president of the American Battlefield Trust, Jim Lighthizer, hailed the transformation of the Franklin Battlefield as a ‘miracle’” said David Duncan. “But the work done in the years since has been no less remarkable. When Franklin was buried under concrete and suburban sprawl, it was virtually impossible to comprehend the ferocity of this fighting and its impact on the Civil War. What has been achieved in preserving and reclaiming this battlefield boggles the imagination – and another phase is just now beginning.” 

Since 1996, the Trust has partnered with organizations like Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin Trust, assisted by federal and state government agencies and local officials, to purchase and subsequently restore and interpret 182 acres of the battlefield. The total value of this land is $22.89 million, because much of it had been developed as strip malls and fast-food restaurants. But in the early 2000s, a grassroots movement to reclaim the battlefield began. Lot by lot, the landscape was transformed into a heritage tourism destination. The removal of the now-vacant warehouses will enhance the site by connecting two previously protected portions of the battlefield. The new Herbert Harper Visitor Center at the Carter House State Historic Site will break ground in the coming weeks and usher a new era for Franklin.

A coalition of collaborating organizations and agencies came together to bring this project to fruition. To meet the $5.03 million transaction cost, the federal American Battlefield Protection Program awarded a $950,000 matching grant, while the Tennessee Civil War Sites Preservation Fund (TCWSPF), administered by the Tennessee Wars Commission, a division of the Tennessee Historical Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, added $957,500 and the Trust contributed $600,000. The City of Franklin and various local partner groups contributed $2.3 million. 

“Since 2018, approximately $18 million in funding from this program has helped save over 1,100 acres of threatened Tennessee battlefield lands, protecting open space and creating parkland across our state,” notes Tennessee Historical Commission Executive Director Patrick McIntyre.  “In Franklin we’re proud partners once again in the ongoing effort to reclaim this storied battlefield-- thanks in part to a $957,500 TCWSPF grant that will help conserve a cornerstone parcel near the Commission’s Carter House State Historic Site.”

To mark the major battle anniversary, the Trust is also debuting a pair of educational videos. One features a short tour of the battlefield with expert historians. In the other, Grammy-nominated country music singer Trace Adkins, a former member of the Trust’s board, follows in the footsteps of his ancestor Thomas Durkin Williams, who fought at Franklin with the 15th Mississippi Regiment. 

On November 30, 1864, determined not to let the Federals reach the safety of Nashville, Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood unleashed a massive frontal assault against their entrenched lines. Despite nearly breaking through the Union center, he was driven back with heavy losses — more than 6,000 casualties, including six dead generals. The Confederate Army barely survived to fight another day but was conclusively defeated two weeks later at the Battle of Nashville. 

From a grassroots organization started by historians 30 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into one of the most successful private heritage land preservation organizations in the nation. The Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, representing more than 160 sites in 25 states. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of history as a means to fully understand our rights and responsibilities as Americans.  Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

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